Overview

• The bright meteor was widely seen over Kyushu and Shikoku around 23:08 JST on August 19 and was captured clearly by Fukuoka Airport’s camera and numerous dashcams.
• United States Government sensors archived by NASA’s CNEOS estimated an energy release of about 1.6 kilotons, with peak brightness near 30.9°N, 131.8°E southeast of Kyushu.
• Preliminary SonotaCo calculations indicate an entry speed near 21 km/s, an entry angle of about 58 degrees, and a terminal altitude around 18 km.
• The Kagoshima Regional Meteorological Observatory reported atmospheric vibrations detected by Sakurajima monitoring equipment consistent with the fireball.
• Experts identified the event as a particularly bright meteor far smaller than the 2013 Chelyabinsk airburst, and such fireballs occur a few times per year worldwide.